The Liberal government says it is not “interfering” with the Senate to speed up passage of its cannabis legalization bill.

Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor told reporters Wednesday the government isn’t behind a warning from Sen. Peter Harder to call for time allocation on Bill C-45 if an agreement can’t been reached soon on setting a relatively speedy legislative timeline to move the bill through the Senate.

“I absolutely respect the work the Senate is doing with respect to Bill C-45, and in no way are we interfering with the process of the Senate,” she said. “It’s completely their decision as they move forward, and I’m following the bill closely.”

The comments come a day after Sen. Harder, the government’s representative in the Senate, raised the prospect of time allocation Tuesday.

She said there was “absolutely not” an order from the government to propose time allocation.

In question period Wednesday, Conservative MP Alain Rayes charged that the government is trying to “rush the legalization of marijuana” and moving to “block” the work of senators because it would benefit Liberal insiders.

#QP 3/ @AlainRayes: There are ppl close to the Libs ready to profit from legalized marijuana, is that y govt is interfereing in Senate’s work on Bill C-45?

Sen. Harder said on Tuesday he was concerned that “partisan politics” could delay the bill, drawing concern that Conservative leader Andrew Scheer was quoted saying his party would use “all the democratic tools” available to them to try to block its passage.

Sen. Smith said Wednesday that he aims to work toward an agreeable schedule, and that while he agrees with Scheer said, “at the same time our job in the Senate is to provide constructive evaluation of any law.”

Although, when asked about the prospect of time allocation – the first time sen. Harder has raised that prospect in his time in the Senate – sen. Smith suggested the Tory ranks would most likely dial up their rancour if the debate time gets limited.

“Naturally, when you turn up the volume, turn up the heat in legislative debate – or the function of how you’re passing legislation – there’s a likely opportunity when the heat goes up, it can be more combative,” he said.

Of course, even if Sen. Harder ultimately does try to bring in time allocation, which he said Tuesday is not his first option, he would still need enough senators to support the motion for it to pass. Unlike in the Commons, the Senate has an unpredictable political landscape, which means it’s not clear sen. Harder would necessarily have enough support among the Independents and senate Liberals the motion to pass.

The Liberal government wants the bill to pass by July this summer.

Parliamentary secretary Bill Blair said Wednesday that provinces, territories and cities have been working “diligently” to get ready for legalization, and will “be ready” when the Senate finishes its work.

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If the Conservatives are so concerned with this bill, why do they keep refusing to debate it? It’s disappointing that Senators would put party politics and games over their job of discussing the legislation in front of them.